After Tomorrow
by God Emperor Penguin
Summary: [Post Volume 5] In hindsight, she should have expected it. They'd spent so much time saving each other, and they'd grown closer as a result. And yet, here she was, proving that he could still surprise her.
1. Yesterday

**Summary:** _In hindsight, she should have expected it. They'd spent so much time saving each other, and they'd grown closer as a result. And yet, here she was, proving that he could still surprise her._

 **After Tomorrow**

 **RWBY**

 _Yesterday_

* * *

"Marry me."

His voice was quiet, barely even a whisper in the wind, and yet it thundered through Weiss Schnee's ears as if the declaration had been made to the world, unabashed and unashamed. Eyes widening and shaking off the late night stupor, she pushed off the shoulder she rested on, turning to face its owner by the campfire.

"What?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Jaune Arc stared into the fire. His expression told a thousand words that held no rhyme or reason, and yet he seemed never more sure. "When all of this is over," he said quietly. "Marry me."

Weiss Schnee had a history of courtships in the past. Flowery words with thinly veiled greed had come from rich men with richer families, all ensnaring her like the snakes that they were. It had been tiring, to wear a plastic smile here and offer a curtsy over there while boys playing men boasted to her of their artificial glory. Her father had encouraged, nay, demanded she attend each of these meetings to find a potential betrothed. For it was her "duty" to carry on the line of succession once she took over the company he'd stolen with their name.

But she was no longer an heiress. And Jaune Arc was no superficial suitor. And instead of the locale being some overpriced restaurant that served appetizers for main courses, they were in a clearing in some woods, in front of a well-kept campfire. They were dirty. They were tired. And Nora was snoring in the background.

Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and Nora Valkyrie snoring.

The rational part of her mind was surprised at how surprised she was. They'd saved each others lives more often than they could count. They had laughed together. They had cried together. They had basically done it all together. The outsider looking in would have thought it to be a given. And yet, here she was: surprised.

"Why?" was all that escaped her lips.

Jaune finally broke his gaze from the embers to meet her eyes. "Because I don't want to be alone," he simply said. "Because I want to be with you."

Something warm surged through Weiss' body then. It would be weeks, months even before she'd fully realise the true depth of the emotion it was that her heart had begun to embrace. It was a curious feeling, but she did not dislike it. And yet with all of that warmth, a chill still creaked its way through the cracks.

"I'm not her."

It was a chill that sprung a memory of a pale, shivering boy with a thousand-yard stare, his hands tightly squeezed around a bronze headpiece.

"I know." His reply was instant.

"I can never be her."

"I know." Again, instant.

"Then why me?" she asked. "I'm nothing. My name means nothing."

"I liked you before I knew your name," he replied. "And I loved you after you lost it."

Ah. There it was. That word. That damned four letter word. It had power to win wars as well as to be the cause of what waged them. Many a person has claimed it made them stronger; many a person has said it made them weaker.

And still that chill resonated in her body.

"I'm not her," she said weakly. "I don't want to you to look at me and see…" To see red instead of white. To see green instead of blue. To see perfection instead of imperfection.

Weiss Schnee did not want to be a mirror on a wall that reflected what Jaune Arc really wanted.

As she said this, her fingers found their way to her abdomen, ghosting in a circle. Jaune's eyes followed her movement, his gaze resting where her hand had stilled.

"The first time was for her," he admitted. "And saving the others was as much for her as it was for me." He looked back up at her. "But since then, I have always saved you because it was you. I will always save you because it's you."

The warmth Weiss had felt soared up again. It wrapped around her body, hugging her like a snug blanket. The feeling felt familiar like Winter and comforting like her team, and yet it also felt different. The feeling that he gave her felt different.

"You're not Pyrrha Nikos," Jaune continued. "You're Weiss Schnee." He took the hand that rested on her abdomen and enveloped it with his own. "Marry me, please."

Weiss stared down at their intertwined hands. His fingers were hardened and calloused, a far cry from how soft they were when he'd first swooped her out of the air. His eyes, his innocence and naivety still lingered somewhere buried in there, beneath the pain and the trauma of the things that they've seen.

It wasn't fair. They were all too young to experience the cold harsh reality that faced them.

"Say it again," she whispered.

"Marry me."

"Not that." She shook her head. "When you were talking about my name."

He tightened his grip. "I love you."

She kissed him then. Demanding and desperate with an inkling of desire. It was long, but not long enough. It could never be enough. Time could warp seconds into centuries and still they'd yearn for more.

"Ask me again after tomorrow," she breathed as their lips parted. Her eyes were closed as she rested her head on his chest, his heartbeat calming hers as they beat in unison. It was proof that he was still alive. Proof that they were all still alive. "Ask me then and I'll give you an answer."

There was a moment of hesitation. "Okay," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "After tomorrow."

"Don't get cold feet," she said, half-joking, half-pleading.

"I won't."

Soon the embers in the fire would die out. Soon dawn would arrive and their friends would awaken. Soon the end of the end would start and finish, and maybe afterwards Remnant would finally grant her heroes rest. Whether she would do so voluntarily or involuntarily, no one knew.

But for now, it was just the two of them. Once an heiress and her fool, now a lady and her knight. The darkness could take many things, and it may still will. But it could never rob them of this moment. It had taken enough. It had destroyed enough. And it will never take away what matters most. Not again. Never again. Never _ever_ again.

And as sleep cast its spell over them, the shadow of Beacon Tower loomed above.

* * *

 _Yesterday Fin_

"Hold me by my name, hold me till the end." **Koda - Staying**

 _\- Narutochaos22_


	2. Today

**Summary:** _In hindsight, she should have expected it. They'd spent so much time saving each other, and they'd grown closer as a result. And yet, here she was, proving that he could still surprise her._

 **After Tomorrow**

 **RWBY**

 _Today_

* * *

It was still.

Not quiet, because cheers could be heard in the streets. Not quiet, because faunus and humans were embracing one another, crying in each other's arms. Not quiet, because the world was still breathing a sigh of relief that the disease that plagued it had finally been scourged.

It was still.

Alone on a rooftop, nay, _their_ rooftop, Jaune Arc stood. The wind murmured softly around him as he stood with his eyes shut in a sea of nostalgia. He could still hear every sword clash, every peal of laughter, every friendly touch. And it threatened to overwhelm him. It threatened to break him.

It was still.

His sword was held loosely in one hand, and his scroll was open in the other. It was playing through that same message he'd ingrained into his mind ever since the day the world ended. He did not need to see it. He did not need to hear it. Already he knew the pattern of her words.

 **Shield up, Jaune! Go, Jaune! Again, again, again, Jaune!**

Whether anyone liked it or not, the war had ended. A war known to very few people, but a war nonetheless. Ended with the swing of a scythe of one Ruby Rose. There would be no doubt that in the future, a legend would be told of a huntress with a small, honest soul. Everyone had played their part, and they had won.

But how many people died?

 **Grip tight, Jaune! Front foot forward, Jaune! Slash, slash, slash, Jaune!**

How many people had fallen to a blade to ensure others could remain standing? Victors rise to prominence in the history books. The losers are an anecdote. The dead become a statistic. Too many had died. No one needed to die. And yet, people died. Was it worth it?

Was this victory worth all of the bloodshed?

 **Dodge it, Jaune! Don't die, Jaune! Block, block, block, Jaune!**

A pair of light footsteps made their presence known beside him. They were slightly staggered with a limp, not so much out of injury as it was out of exhaustion. The owner's feet came to a rest, standing a few inches away from him. And yet they said nothing, just as Jaune said nothing. All that could be heard was the voice of a martyr, who'd fought a battle she knew she'd lose from the moment she'd kissed him.

Jaune opened his eyes and sighed. "We won," he said.

Weiss gave a small affirmative noise.

"It sure doesn't feel like one."

"But it is," she replied.

 **Enemies, Jaune! Kill them all, Jaune! Stab, stab, stab, Jaune!**

The message on the scroll finished. Jaune's thumb nudged downwards, and the scroll's contents played once more. "Is this enough?" he asked. His sword hand gestured listlessly at the world below him. "Just… this?"

"It has to be."

A rumble sounded somewhere below them. It was Glynda Goodwitch, no doubt, rebuilding the city, piece by piece. Vale could be restored to its former glory, as could Beacon. All it would take is time. Time that they have now. Time that others won't. Time that they will never have.

 **I can't breathe, Jaune! I'm dying, Jaune! Blood, blood, blood, Jaune!**

How ironic it was that he acquired the power to save long after death had already acquired _her_.

"You know," Weiss' voice cut through his reverie. "I think Pyrrha would be proud of you."

"Really?" He gave a bitter laugh. "And what makes you think that?"

"Because I'm proud of you," she said. "Because we all are."

 **Someone killed me, Jaune! You let me die, Jaune! Why, why, why, Jaune?!**

Jaune shook his head. "I could have done more," he gritted out through clenched teeth. "I could have saved more."

"No, you couldn't have." Weiss' voice was sharp. "You're being too hard on yourself."

"It's not enough." He turned to her, his eyes wild. "I didn't do enough."

"You did all that you could and saved all that you could." Weiss' voice was as even as it was hard. "It's not fair to compare one life to many."

He scoffed. "Because the lives of many are more important?"

"Because the _one_ will always matter more."

 **I'm dead, Jaune! I'm ashes, Jaune! Cry, cry, cry, Jaune!**

Jaune turned to face the horizon once more, anguish written on his face. "We won," he said. "This is a victory."

"Yes," came Weiss' quiet reply.

Once more the video message came to an end. Once more his thumb swiped down. Once more the loop started.

The wind picked up a little, causing Weiss to shiver. Summer had come and gone, and Autumn had taken its place. Soon the sun would set, and many welcome homes would be open to strangers today, be it human or faunus, Atlesian or White Fang. There was much to celebrate and rejoice about. But still she remained, because still Jaune Arc remained.

 **You won, Jaune. You saved them, Jaune. I'm grateful, grateful, grateful, Jaune.**

 _Drip_.

"We won," he whispered. "It's over."

"It is," murmured Weiss.

 _Drip_ , _drip_.

"I'm not crying. It's just the stupid rain."

Weiss looked to the clear sky. "Yes," she said quietly. "It's just the rain."

 _Drip_ , _drip_ , _drip_.

"I just-" Jaune's voice hitched. "I'm just-"

"Happy," she finished. "You're happy that we won."

"… yeah."

 **You can rest, Jaune. Thank you, Jaune. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, Jaune.**

It was still.

The world still moved forward. People still cheered on the streets. Hunters and huntresses still fixed the broken buildings. Healers and medics still tended to the wounded. Tragedy strikes, deaths are mourned, and still life goes on. Everyone has to abide by the universe's one golden rule: to keep moving forward.

Weiss began to hum under her breath. That hum soon turned to lyrics as she sang and he listened. It sounded of a time that felt like an eon ago, when one's greatest concern was who to bring to a dance. Waves of nostalgia flooded over Jaune, and finally, _finally_ , he let himself be taken away with it. His sword clattered to the floor - he no longer had a need for it.

Pyrrha Nikos was dead, but she'd left a lifetime of memories in her wake.

Jaune closed his eyes. The fall breeze picked up, wrapping itself around him.

And as it did so, for the most fleeting of moments he swore that he could feel a woman's embrace.

* * *

 _"Jaune… I… I… I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune."_

 **[message deleted]**

* * *

 _Today Fin_

"And I've moved further than I thought I could, but I miss you more than I thought I would." **Amber Run - I Found**

 _\- Narutochaos22_


	3. Tomorrow

**Summary:** _In hindsight, she should have expected it. They'd spent so much time saving each other, and they'd grown closer as a result. And yet, here she was, proving that he could still surprise her._

 **After Tomorrow**

 **RWBY**

 _Tomorrow_

* * *

"So… hi."

A cool breeze blew past the gravestones, curling around the Weiss' legs as she stood in front of one such before her. It was perhaps the newest of gravestones in the area, barely a few years old (if that). Whether that was a good or bad thing, Weiss Schnee did not know. Loss was loss, no matter when or how it occurred. Some people died in their sleep. Others died gasping for air with an arrow punctured through their heart.

The gravestone was ornately decorated with bunches upon bunches of forget-me-not's. It had been Pyrrha's favourite flower. "They remind me of my mother," she had said. And so, her friends and family had obliged. "Forget-me-not" - what a literal name. And yet at the same time, how fitting. There were other gifts as well, left by many an admirer who'd followed her since her rise to fame.

Weiss closed her eyes and breathed in. She breathed out and opened them.

"I don't really know what to say."

The gravestone made no reply. Not because it was rude, but more so because it was a gravestone.

Weiss crouched down and ran her fingers along the inscribed words. Tracing the name _Pyrrha Nikos_ just made the situation feel all that more real. "It's more that I don't know what else to say," she admitted. "Ruby's basically told you everything, anyway."

Weiss did not come to Mistral's cemetery alone. Early in the morning, though many were haggard from the fight the day before, the seven of them insisted on visiting Pyrrha's grave. To say thank you. To say goodbye.

Ruby had gone first. She'd prattled on about how awkward she felt that everyone saw her as a hero now (she made a point to exclaim that her knees were still normal). She talked of all the things Pyrrha would have loved to see and experience. She said she was sorry that she was too late, and thanked her for giving her the courage to face Remnant's demons.

Ren and Nora went next. Ren gave some choice few words and bowed. He couldn't do much else unfortunately, mostly serving as Nora's comfort shoulder as she bawled and babbled of how much she missed her. Yang had quipped a few jokes, thanked Pyrrha for the memories, and then left a few shotgun shells behind. Blake had said nothing at first, instead taking out a black ribbon she'd brought with her and tied it around one of the bunches of flowers. "For not judging me," she had said. "For giving someone like me a chance."

Slowly, from there, everyone began to head back to the bullhead. They all knew that the next two conversations required privacy, and thus so gave them it.

Jaune had gone next. He'd stripped off his armour and laid it down at the foot of the gravestone. He said nothing aloud; he just closed his eyes with his head bowed. He stood there in silence, which dared not be disturbed. Finally, when he opened his eyes and turned, Weiss saw no tears, just a sense of contentment. Brushing his hand against hers, he'd gone back to the entrance of the cemetery, where he now waited for her.

Weiss stood back up and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder what it'd have been like if we'd been partners," she said. "The champion who wanted to be normal, and the heiress who wanted an escape…" She laughed. "We'd have made quite the dysfunctional team."

She cast her gaze to the sky. "But still… we both found partners that unlocked the best in us," she said. "And I wouldn't have had it any other way. Would you?"

No answer. Again, she didn't expect one.

"And then there's your partner," she sighed. "Your damned fool of a partner." She shook her head. "How on earth did I wind up in this situation?" And despite her saying that, a fond smile found its way onto her face. "I told him you'd be proud of him, and honestly? I think you would be. He's… grown."

The sun shone brightly, with no clouds to obscure its radiance. Weiss raised a hand towards it, reaching out as if to hold it in her palm.

"If there is such a thing as an afterlife," she said quietly. "Then I'd like to believe that all this time, you've been watching him. Protecting him." She curled her hand into a fist and brought it back down to her chest. "But you don't have to anymore. You can rest." A soft smile graced her lips. "No matter where the chips may fall, trust me to protect him now."

The wind seemed to pick up then, rustling through the array of flowers. They in turn almost seemed to smell stronger. Sweeter, even. Or maybe it was all just wishful thinking. It was, after all, just a gravestone in a cemetery.

"I should get going," Weiss said with a sigh, turning around to leave. "Apparently Ruby convinced the lunk to take part in an eating contest involving your cereal." She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I swear it's like I'm interacting with children."

And as Weiss walked away from the sanctum of dead towards the land of the living, maybe, just maybe, if she truly believed it, she'd have heard an apologetic laugh.

* * *

 _Tomorrow Fin_

"You can make it out, you will live to tell." **Saosin - You're Not Alone**

 _\- Narutochaos22_


	4. After

**Summary:** _In hindsight, she should have expected it. They'd spent so much time saving each other, and they'd grown closer as a result. And yet, here she was, proving that he could still surprise her._

 **After Tomorrow**

 **RWBY**

 _After_

* * *

Ever since the world ended, Jaune Arc wondered what peace was like.

He remembered what it used to be. It was the stroke of his mother's hand as she tucked him into bed. It was the booming laugh of his father as he reached down to ruffle his hair. It was the joy of his younger sisters as they played hide and seek. It was the mischievousness of his older sisters, dragging him along to the mall to be their bag boy.

It was helping a young, red-cloaked girl up from a self-induced crater. It was being rescued by a girl who'd end up being a martyr. It was messing around, all eight of them, be it at the library or the cafeteria. It was flaunting in a dress and dancing with his team, all while helping an heiress pursue another.

Jaune Arc remembered what peace used to be. And then the world ended. And then he forgot.

* * *

Ever since the world ended, Jaune Arc wondered what peace was like.

Once the world ended, he knew what it wasn't. It wasn't seeing a blonde break the the leg of another. It wasn't seeing a puppet be torn into shreds before his very eyes. It wasn't a fleeting kiss before being launched away in a locker. It wasn't sitting motionless in the med bay, clutching a headpiece to his chest.

It wasn't a message from the fallen, thanking him for her death. It wasn't him helpless, watching the ones he loved fall into peril. It wasn't looking into the eyes of the devil as she mocked his partner's final moments. It wasn't him watching as she walked past him, spear primed to kill another.

Jaune Arc had forgotten what peace was like. But he hadn't forgotten what it wasn't.

* * *

Ever since the world ended, Jaune Arc wondered what peace was like.

He was so far removed from remembering how it felt, that at times he wondered if he'd even be able to recognise it ever again.

And then, he did.

His first experience of it was a gasp of air, as he felt her chest rise and fall beneath his fingertips. The feeling was foreign to him, but still he desperately clung to it. She'd woken, they'd exchanged a few words, and then she'd gone and stabbed a man with a Queen Lancer. Though her words towards him still had bite, what mattered to him most was that she was alive.

His second experience of it was the sound of her footsteps as she made her way towards him. It was the night before they ventured to Atlas, and she'd found him in Haven's courtyard, swinging his sword while listening to a ghost. Rather than stopping him, she instead stopped the recording, much to his chagrin. Summoning her knight in front of him, all she said was that sparring would yield more experience.

His third experience of it was her voice, a light melody in the darkness. She was out on one of Atlas Academy's many balconies, singing to herself. She sung of her loneliness, of her disinheritance, of everything that plagued her mind. He sat himself beside her, closed his eyes, and listened. She did not stop singing. He did not stop listening.

His fourth experience of it was her body shielding his, her teeth clenched together as the big man (what was his name - Hazel?) tore through her ice barriers like paper. Yet still she formed new ones to replace the old, stubbornly ignoring his pleas to escape and leave him to die. He'd already transferred what was left of his aura to her, so he was useless to her, a noose around her neck. Still she refused, holding on well past her limits until help arrived in the form of Raven Branwen.

His fifth experience of it was a harsh strike across his cheek. Her fury was unabated as she shouted at him against a wall, cursing him for his foolishness. She screamed at him to value his life more, because if he died, then he would be leaving them all behind. He would be leaving _her_ behind. Jaune Arc would never forget the expression she made that night. Jaune Arc would ensure that she never made that expression again.

He felt peace many more times after this, his sixth, his seventh, his eleventh... he stopped counting after a while. And as he felt it more often, he began to realise that each instance had something in common.

And when she pressed her lips against his under the watch of Beacon Tower, he wondered if it was the same for her, too.

* * *

Ever since the world ended, Jaune Arc wondered what peace was like.

In downtime when left to his own thoughts, he would wonder what peace would be like when the world was brought back to life.

Maybe it would be Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie restoring Kuroyuri, encouraging people to come back to the fallen village.

Maybe it would be Blake Belladonna disbanding the White Fang, going on to work for equal faunus rights away from its tainted name.

Maybe it would be Yang Xiao Long leading the Branwen tribe, fulfilling the role her mother once had.

Maybe it would be Ruby Rose finally fulfilling her wish of becoming a huntress, one who youth of every age would clamour to get an autograph of.

Maybe it would be Jacques Schnee losing control of his company to its rightful heiress, who'd then lead them towards a better future.

Maybe it would be the seven of them getting together every year in front of Pyrrha Nikos' grave, where they'd celebrate how she lived.

Maybe it would be Jaune Arc as the new headmaster of Beacon, ensuring that everyone in his school would know of Pyrrha Nikos' legacy. Maybe it would be spending his time by the statue of her in Beacon's entrance hall, telling her that Cardin Winchester's kid had enrolled and that he was really fighting the urge to make his life a living hell (he'd say he was joking of course - Pyrrha Nikos never really did grasp sarcasm). Maybe it would be him guiding the hunters and huntresses of tomorrow towards a world where no one had to willingly walk towards their inevitable demise.

And maybe, just maybe it would be the end of every school week, when Jaune Arc would hop into the fastest bullhead to Atlas, just so that he'd be able to see his three most favourite girls in the entire world.

Maybe that's what peace would be like in the future. Who knows? Jaune Arc sure doesn't.

* * *

Ever since the world ended, Jaune Arc wondered what peace was like.

And now that the world was reborn, he's positive that he now knows the answer.

Peace was five feet in height and held a whole lot of snarkiness. Peace pretended to be annoyed by her teammates' rowdiness, but deep down she enjoyed their presence. Peace had a wonderful singing voice, lulling him into fitful bouts of sleep without nightmares. Peace was amusing to make fun of, and would pinch his cheek until he apologised. Peace would laugh at his stupid jokes, partly out of obligation and partly because she liked having him around. Peace was there for him when he was weak, and was there to celebrate with him when he was strong. Peace would do anything save him, as he likewise would.

Peace was the sleeping face before him, her expression free of woe and her body draped in sheets.

Last night had started as somewhat of an awkward, clumsy affair that ended with clothes being strewn all over the place and the both of them becoming a tangled mess of limbs. It had been a haphazard mixture of desperation and ecstasy, out of want and need and whatever laid in between.

And Jaune Arc had never felt more alive.

The morning sun streaked through the room's open window, partially illuminating her face. She looked like a… what was that term he'd used long ago, snow angel? He internally winced at the cheesiness, but couldn't deny that the term had its merits. She did look rather angelic with her hair loose around her, no longer held back by her ponytail. He reached forward, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear. She grumbled incoherently and grabbed his arm, wrapping it in hers with a content sigh as she slept.

He laughed to himself but abruptly stopped, confusion marring his face. How long has it been since he'd laughed so freely? It felt like a lifetime ago. Hell, it may as well have been. It had been a much simpler time back then, back before the knowledge of maidens and magic and relics and gods - and don't even get him _started_ on the whole silver-eyed warrior thing. He could barely even explain how his own aura and semblance worked for crying out loud.

But for now at least, all of that was done. Everyone was free to do as they pleased without the worry that tomorrow may never come. In fact, they were free to think of what to do _after_ tomorrow. The possibilities were endless, to say the least. When one has all the time in the world, how do they decide on what to do first?

Well, _one_ thing did come to Jaune Arc's mind.

Besides, his feet were feeling pretty warm.

He leaned forward, the distance between them going from inches to centimetres as he pressed his lips to her forehead. As he drew back, the woman before him began to stir. One eye opened first - her scarred one - and then the other. Diamond sleepily blinked in and out of existence before she took his captive hand to stifle her incoming yawn. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at that, how cute it was notwithstanding. Then, after a pregnant pause she released his hand, bit her lip, and waited.

He smiled.

She smiled back.

Ever since the world ended, Jaune Arc wondered what peace was like.

And as he looked into her eyes, without a shadow of a doubt, Jaune Arc was sure of it.

Peace was Weiss Schnee.

* * *

"Marry me."

"I love you, too."

* * *

 _After Fin_

"So you can drag me through hell, if it meant I could hold your hand." **Bring Me The Horizon - Follow You**

 **Author's Notes:** _I finished catching up on RWBY a few weeks ago and wanted to write something. And as you can see, that "something" turned into "somethings". Anyway, yeah. White Knight for life._

 _\- Narutochaos22_


End file.
